Giro d'Italia, Grand Tour

Italy, May 16-June 7, 1998

What the experts say

FELICE GIMONDI: "When you confront two climbers,
Pantani and Gotti, and two all rounders, Zülle and Tonkov:
only after one week will we have clearer indications.
But even of the two climbers defend themselves in the
time trials, things are not going to be even."

LUCIANO PEZZI (Gimondi's Sport Director and now
Pantani's boss): "Without a doubt, Zülle will be the
one to watch in the race: he has prepared better and
is strong everywhere."

GIANNI MOTTA (Giro winner in 1966): "I think that
it'll be Zülle the one that will be attacking his
adversaries."

GIUSEPPE MARTINELLI (Sport Director of Mercatone
Uno-Bianchi): "Zülle is the favorite for the time
trial. I'm convinced that we can win with Pantani.
Marco has said that he will need to keep Zülle in
sight every day. And Zülle better carry his eyeglasses
with him on every descent."

BRUNO ROUSSEL (Sport Director for Festina-Lotus): "It
is very difficult to make a prediction, Pantani, Gotti
and Tonkov are dangerous adversaries that we respect.
But if Alex has been able to win at la Vuelta and to
make the podium at the Tour, he can also win at the
Giro."

GIUSEPPE SARONNI (Team Manager of Mapei-Bricobě):
"Zülle has impressed everyone, he has experience at a
high level and a great team."

EMMANUELE BOMBINI (Sport Director of Team Riso
Scotti-Aiwa) "Zulle will need to administer well his
advantage at the time trial: he could make it his race
because it is easier to defend than to attack. In the
race he will behave like Indurain."

FRANCESCO MOSER (Giro winner in 1984): "Pavel (Tonkov)
will be the rider that will adapt the best to the
race. He has the experience and a very strong team.
Zülle? He may be going strong, but he will pay for the
Giro atmosphere, the roads that he doesn't know. It's
going to be difficult for Pantani, he will have to
attack all his rivals in all the mountain stages."

VITTORIO ADORNI (Giro winner in 1965): "Tonkov is
stronger than the other three, it'll be like in 1996,
when he won. Zülle has shown his performance in la
Vuelta, but he has always had difficulties in major
tours. And he will specially pay because the Giro is
different from the Tour and Vuelta: it is a great
unknown."

ANTONIO SALUTINI (Gotti's sport director): "I vote for
Tonkov because he has class, but inside of me I hope
a repeat like in 1997. Pantani will be the strongest
on the climbs, but that won't be enough."

FLAVIO MIOZZO (Team Ballan's Sport Director): "Tonkov
is the most solid athlete, physically and character
wise. Zülle will pay because of the Giro's structure
as a race. I vote for Gontchar."

GIUSEPPE LANZONI (Team Amore&Vita-ForzArcore sport
director): Pavel will not repeat the tactical mistakes
that he made in 1997."

DAVIDE CASSANI (ex-Pro and commentator for RAI): Votes
for Pantani: "because this will be the first time that
he has been able to prepare without major problems, he
has a whole team working for him. Zülle instead will
pay in the very tough climbs that are characteritic of
the Giro, to which he's not used to."

FABIO BORDONALI (Brescialat-Liquigas' sport director):
"Pantani looks very convincing, he is classy rider and
he can't be matched on the climbs."

DAVIDE BOIFAVA (Asics-CGA's Team Manager): "He has
shown that he is the best in the mountains and he has
imporved in thetime trial."

GIUSEPPE PETITO (Cantina Tollo-Alexia Alluminio's
sport director): "If Pantani wins, it would be the
surprise of the Giro. It is not enough to be good in
the mountains, in order to win the Giro he must excel
in the time trial."

Preview

Mario Cipollini, the rider they call Super Mario or the Lion King,
is not in the super form he needs to dominate the flat stages
of the Giro d'Italia. He has claimed that race organisers
have deliberately not designed the sprints to suit him. He has also
been sick this year. In last year's Giro he won 5 stages and
the points jersey.

He has told the world press: "I am missing the great form I had last
year. I don't know how I am sprinting because I have had only four
opportunities so far. I won two and was second in the others.
The organisers of races so far have not respected the
sprinters. It is incredible that there have been so few sprint
finishes. I hope there will be more chances in the Tour and for
the rest of the season."

Super Mario has one challenge though to compete hard in the sprints.
He is going for his 23rd stage win at the Giro which sets will see
him equal the record held by the late "Campionissimo"' Fausto
Coppi

This year's Giro is not a sprinter's paradise. It has only 5 fast
stage finishes and harder mountains this year. The major change
is the increased emphasis on time trials. The major threats for
the maillot rose are last year's winner Ivan Gotti, a teammate
at Saeco of Cipollini, 1996 winner Russian Pavel Tonkov, Swiss Alex Zulle
(riding his first Giro), and mountain specialist Marco Pantani.

29-year old Alex Zulle is the popular pick and he hopes to get
things going from the start by winning the 7 kms prologue
on the streets of Nice (France). Zulle thinks that it wil be
Pavel Tonkov, Marco Pantani and Ivan Gotti who stand between him and
victory. If Zulle can overcome the rivals he will be only the fourth
Swiss rider in the 81 year history of the great event to win (previous
winners were Hugo Koblet in 1950, Carlo Clerici in 1954 and Tony Rominger
in 1995).
Zulle, has been storming recently and has three chances to use his time trial
skills to advantage - the opening prologue, the 15th Stage at Trieste (40 kms)
and the 21st Stage at Lugano (34 kms).

And what of Gotti? The defending champion is, along with Pantani the best
climber in the Giro. Pantani is now fully over his bad leg injuries
which he incurred in the Tour of Lombardy a few years ago.
Gotti believes that they must beat Zulle in the mountain stages and it will
be interesting if he forms a "team" with Pantani to destroy Zulle and then
fight it out among themselves.

Gotti is reported as saying: Zuelle starts with a potential four-minute lead from three
against-the-clock stages. Thus I must think to attack him on the
mountains, where he's most vulnerable. I hope to get some support
from Pantani for defeating him."

This year's Giro has attempted to improve its image and has the riders
starting in France (Nice) then heading back into Italy (after Stage 1 which
finishes in Cuneo) and later it holds the second last stage at Lugano
in Switzerland.

The field includes 18 teams with one Australian, four Swedes and
four Colombians. The riders will cover 3,868 kms over the length and
breadth of Italy and see how they fare in the mountains of the north.
The hardest stage is the 17th which involves two mountain passes in excess of
2000m (Marmolada and Sella-Cima Coppi).

The business side of the race sees the winner taking $US153,000 with total
prize money being around US1.4 million.